Monday, November 9, 2015

Inmate found unresponsive in his cellCORCORAN – The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) is investigating as a potential homicide the death of an inmate found unresponsive in his cell this morning at the California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison in Corcoran (SATF).Inmate Rufus Hodges, 51, was declared deceased by SATF medical staff at 8:02 a.m. and his cellmate, Christopher Shirley, was detained and placed in a holding cell as a suspect. The cause of death is to be determined.

Hodges was committed to the CDCR in October, 2013 and was serving a sentence of life without the possibility of parole for two convictions of murder in Riverside County.Shirley, 35, is serving a sentence of 46 years, 4 months, his second strike, after being convicted in Shasta County of two counts of assault with a semi-automatic firearm and inflicting great bodily harm on a child under the age of five.

In keeping with CDCR policy, the Office of Inspector General and the Kings County District Attorney have been notified of Hodges’ death.

Opened in August, 1997, SATF provides housing, programs and services for 5,518 minimum- and maximum-custody inmates and employs 1,800 people.